'Ready for the Moment': How Miami's DC Corey Hetherman Adjusted With Depleted Secondary

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — "Next man up."

No. 5 Miami is living by that mentality thanks to key secondary pieces dropping like flies.

However, Miami has been building this roster just in case something like this happens, and defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman loves the depth and the opportunity given to others.

"Yeah, we're excited about the guys still, how they came in spring football, how they competed in fall camp," Hetherman said. "And, I think especially the last couple weeks, our guys continue to get better and continue to grow every day. And I think you see them out there competing, and it allows us to do a lot of different things. Coverage-wise, what we're doing in the back end, it allows us to be very versatile, do a lot of different things."

Without OJ Frederique Jr., Xavier Lucas, and Ja'Boree Antoine, the Hurricanes have turned to players like Ryan Mack and Chris Ewald Jr. Moreover, Byrce Fitzgerald has moved to cornerback, showing his versatility, while freshman JJ Dunnigan has moved into a full-time starting role.

Hetherman is putting each player into a position to succeed, while also being excited about what they can do.

"The first two guys that come to mind, the guys have been here a little bit longer, you look at Ryan Mack and Chris Ewald," Hetherman said. "Those are guys that do a really good job. We play them at nickel, we play them at corner, we play them a little bit of safety. I thought they both played really well last week. I think they're guys that play on teams. I always like special teams too. Who's competing on special teams and who's giving us a lot of value there? Because those are game reps.

Miami's Jakobe Thomas (8) and Bryce Fitzgerald (13) get the crowd hyped during the College Football Playoff National Championship college football game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"Those are you're on the field, you're under the bright lights, you're flying around, and then when you can step up on special teams, now you can come play on defense, and that brings so much value to us. And then I think the freshmen, you watch Portis, you watch Brody, those guys are getting so much better. Like, those guys compete every single day. Their technique's getting better, their footwork's getting better, their eye discipline is growing and getting better every single day, and they're always in the building. They're always coming in.

"They're always meeting with our coaches. They're always watching film. And then, you know, we're watching the one-on-ones, we're watching the seven-on-seven, we're watching the team reps. So that way they can continue to push themselves and get better. So, when the situation comes up and they're in in that rep or they're in in that rep, they're going to be ready for the moment."

Moreover, Dunnigan has been the calling card for the Hurricanes all offseason. Now with the depth taking a hit, he is getting his chance to highlight what everyone has loved about him and is versitility.

🆕: It is still early in the season, but the Miami Hurricanes haven't forced a turnover, a key trait in all championship-level teams.#miamihurricanes | #collegefootball

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— Eye of the Hurricanes (@CanesCentralSI) September 15, 2026

Hetherman won't keep him in one spot to show how good he is. His idea is to give more to the talented freshman.

"Yeah, I think, every week it's going to be different, week to week," Hetherman said. "So a lot of people look at him as a corner. He can play strong, he can play nickel, he can play free. He's got good size. You can use him down in the box in different situations. He's a physical player. He's a good tackler. He blitzes well. So there's a lot of different things we can do with him, and that's what we want in recruiting.

"You know, going back to that, we want to evaluate people, not positions. Who are the best players, who can run, who can cover, who can blitz, who's physical, who can defeat blocks, who can tackle? Those are the things we want to evaluate, and I think, our recruiting staff did a really good job evaluating that, going to find the best players and putting us in a position there. But I think the way he approaches it, he's always in the office.

"He's always watching film. He asks great questions. He's always pushing himself to get better. You can see it. If he goes out and struggles, he's in, he's going to get it fixed, and the next day he doesn't make the same mistake again."

Miami will use this depth against a dangerous Wake Forest team Friday, Sept. 18, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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